IATA and ATA Join Forces to Implement CEIV Live Animals

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Geneva – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the Animal Transport Association (ATA) have joined forces to encourage industry adoption of the Center of Excellence for Independent Validators for Live Animals Logistics (CEIV Live Animals). This was formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between IATA and ATA at ATA's 49th Annual Conference in Budapest, Hungary.

Handling and transporting live animals is challenging. Ensuring that standards and best practices are in place around the world to protect the welfare of these animals when they travel by air is a key priority for IATA and ATA. CEIV Live Animals is a standardized global certification program designed to help achieve this.

Under the terms of the MoU, ATA will encourage adoption of CEIV Live Animals among its members. In parallel, ATA and IATA will continue to work closely to ensure ATA members are aligned with the CEIV Live Animal Program requirements. Both organizations will also collaborate to improve the handling and transport of animals worldwide and ensure access to adequate training for all stakeholders involved.

Filip Vande Cappelle, president of ATA explains: "Information, education and training of people involved in animal shipping is an absolute requirement. To secure the highest possible welfare of animals in transport, one needs high standards all along the logistic chain. Thanks to IATA these standards are available and, rather than re-inventing the wheel, ATA has chosen to collaborate with IATA to get these standards implemented as widely as possible amongst our Members through encouraging adoption of CEIV Live Animals."

ATA is also encouraging its members to create CEIV Certified communities. Filip said: "By creating communities between our Members, we can combine a number of stages in the CEIV Live Animal process which results in better collaboration between supply chain members, a commonly accepted standard and a considerable cost saving for the participants. We are convinced that this will highly benefit the welfare of animals being shipped and reduce the number of incidents".

"Animal owners, breeders and shippers rely heavily on airlines to carry their precious cargo. As an industry, we have a duty of care to ensure that standards and best practices are in place around the world to protect the welfare of these animals. IATA is committed to working with ATA, its members and wider industry stakeholders to achieve excellence in the transport of live animals" said Glyn Hughes IATA's Global Head, Cargo.

The Animal Transportation Association is a non-profit international trade association dedicated to promoting her members and providing access to necessary resources and education for the safe and humane handling and transport of all animals worldwide. ATA was founded in 1976 by a former USDA Officer and three different USDA Departments as they thought there was a lack of information, education and regulation in the live animal shipping industry. Members of ATA include airlines; airports; handlers; shippers; freight forwarders; exporters; government authorities and academic & research organizations who are all involved in the sector of live animal transport, whether by air, road or sea.

ATA provides an important opportunity for individuals, businesses, organizations and groups involved in any phase of animal transportation to become part of an international effort to find solutions to a variety of problems related to the transport of animals. At the same time, members are linked to information, resources, contacts, and key developments in the field that can help them provide better services and conditions for animals in transit. ATA provides a means for making research needs known, encouraging research, and disseminating findings. The organization further encourages uniform and effective international regulations and humane handling of live animals.